Foot massaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

A foot massaging apparatus adapted to receive and massage both feet simultaneously while the user is comfortably seated with his legs extending in a natural inclined position and with his feet spread apart in a natural manner. The apparatus comprises a platform made of rigid material and adapted to rest on the floor, said platform having a top surface and arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the floor and defining a pair of elongated recesses which are deeper at one end than at their other end and have a bottom surface inclined with respect to the floor, each recess adapted to receive the underside of the user&#39;&#39;s foot, and a vibrator unit comprising an electric motor secured to the platform and having a rotor with an excentric mass to set up low amplitude and high frequency vibrations in the platform.

United States Patent 1 Duplessis 51 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] FOOT MASSAGINGAPPARATUS 22 Filed: April 29, 19-71 21 Appl.No.: 138,631

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONSGermany ..l28/25 B Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp Attorney-PierreLesperance [5 7 ABSTRACT A foot massaging apparatus adapted to receiveand massage both feet simultaneously while the useris comfortably seatedwith his legs extending in a natural inclined position and with his feetspread apart in a natural manner. The apparatus comprises a platformmade of rigid material and adapted to rest on the floor, said platformhaving a top surface and arranged in a plane substantially parallel tothe floor and defining a pair of elongated recesses which are deeper atone end than at their other end and have a bottom surface inclined withrespect to the floor, each recess adapted to receive the underside ofthe users foot, and a vibrator unit comprising an electric motor securedto the platform and having a rotor with an ex centric mass to set up lowamplitude and high frequency vibrations in the platform.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEB MI 2 W3 INVENTOR Gerard DUPLESS/SAGENT FOOT MASSAGING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a footmassaging apparatus. Present-day foot massaging apparatuses either donot enable massaging of both feet at the same time and require the userto take unnatural and uncomfortable position.

The general object of the invention resides in the provision of a footmassaging apparatus which will obviate the above-noted disadvantagesand, more particularly, which is capable of massaging both feet at thesame time and while the user is comfortably seated with his legsengaging the apparatus in a natural position.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatusof the character described, of simple and inexpensive and yet ruggedconstruction.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become moreapparent during the following disclosure and by referring to thedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings, like reference characters indicate like elementsthroughout.

The apparatus of the invention comprises a platform 1 and a vibratorunit 2, secured to the underside of the platform 1. Vibrator unit 2 isof conventional construction and comprises an electric motor 3, on theoutput shaft of which is mounted an eccentric weight 4. The motor 3,together with casing 5 of the vibrator, are secured to the platform 1 bymeans of bolts 6.

Platform 1 is preferably made of synthetic resin in rigid sheet form.When seen in top plan view, it provides a top surface 7, of generallytrapezoidal shape, defining a smaller base edge 8 of concave or V-shape,a larger base edge 9 forming straight end edge portions 10 making anobtuse angle with each other and joined by an intermediate centralrecessed edge portion 11 forming a central protruding V-shaped portion12. The lateral straight edges 13 of the platform are mutually inclined.

A skirt l4 depends downwardly from the entire periphery of the topsurface 7 and has substantially equal width throughout. The skirt 14 isextended downwardly at the back corners of the platform and at thecentral V-shaped portion 12 of the front edge to form legs 15 of rightangular section, as shown in FIG. 4, adapted to be inserted within asimilarly shaped right angular blind bore 16 ofa floor engaging pad 17,made of rubber or the like resilient material.

The legs 15 have all equal length such that the foot pads 17, whenengaging a support surface such as a floor, support the top surface 7 ofthe platform in substantially horizontal position. The top surface 7 isshaped so as to form a pair of elongated foot receiving recesses 18,each having its bottom wall 19 vertically inclined so that each recess18 has its deepest part located adjacent the back smaller base edge 8,but short of the same to provide a foot heel engaging wall 21 whichmerges with skirt 14 at the portion 20 of top wall 7. The bottom wall 19is straight when seen in cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2, and itsfront edge substantially merges with the top wall 7 of the platform atthe larger base front edge 9 of said platform.

The long axes of the recess 18 are diverging towards the front largerbase edge 9 of the platform, said long axes being substantially paralleltothe straight lateral edges 13 of the platform. Each recess 18 isprovided along its inside wall 22 and intermediate the ends thereof witha boss 23 having an outer shape to conform to the arch at the undersideof a human foot. The two bosses 23 are aligned transversely of theplatform and protrude above the top surface 7, their protruding partsbeing interconnected by a raised bridge portion 24 of the top wall ofthe platform. i

The apparatus is used as follows:

It is placed on the floor in front of a chair or other seat with thelarger base edge 9 away from said seat. The electric motor 3 of thevibrator unit 2 is connected to an electric supply and set in motion.The excen'trically weighted rotor of motor 3, which normally rotates atabout 1,500 r.p.m., will set up in the platform 1 low amplitude, highfrequency vibrations, efficiently massaging the user's feet. The usersitting on the chair places his two feet in the respective recesses 18with the heel engaging the wall 21 of the recess with the arch of thefoot engaging the boss 23 and with the toes extending towards the largerbase edge 9.

Due to the diverging positions of the two recesses and the inclinationof their bottom wall 19, the users feet are spread apart in a naturalmanner and his legs are inclined with respect to the floor in a naturalmanner, while the user is seated. Thus, both feet are massaged at thesame time while the user is seated in a most comfortable manner with theusers legs and feet in a natural position, whereby the feet can bemassaged without fatigue.

The skirt which extends along the entire periphery of the platformserves to reinforce said platform and to mask vibrator unit 2 from view.Legs 15 are very strong, because they have a right angularcross-section.

Vibration of the platform is not imparted to the supporting floor,because of the rubber foot pads 17.

What I claim is:

l. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform having bearingsurfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platform defining apair of elongated recesses at the top surface thereof, said recessesinclined with respect to the plane containing said bearing surfaces foreach receiving the underside of a foot of a person seated on a chairsupported by said same support surface and a motor-operated vibratorunit secured to said platform, each recess having a substantially flatbottom surface with a lateral boss intermediate its ends, said boss ofan outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot,said vibrator unit being located underneath said platform, said platformhas a downwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof, reinforcingsaid platform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirt havingdownward narrow extensions forming support legs for said platform andresilient foot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and defining saidbearing surfaces.

2. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the longaxes of said recesses are diverging in the direction of the ends of saidrecesses farther away from said plane.

3. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said endsof said recesses merge with the top surface of said platform.

4. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidsupport legs have an angular cross-section and said foot pads have abody with a blind bore of the same angular cross-section as said legs toreceive the latter.

5. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidplatform with its recesses, said skirt and said extensionsare parts of ashaped one-piece rigid sheet of material.

6. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform made of rigidmaterial and having bearing surfaces adapted to contact a supportsurface, said platform having a top surface arranged in a planesubstantially parallel to the plane of said bearing surfaces anddefining a pair of elongated separate recesses, said recesses beingdeeper at one end than at their other end and each having a bottomsurface inclined with respect to intermediate its ends, said boss of anouter shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot.

8. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein saidplatform has a downwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof,reinforcing said platform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirthas downward narrow extensions forming support legs for said platformand resilient foot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and definingsaid bearing surfaces.

1. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform having bearingsurfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platform defining apair of elongated recesses at the top surface thereof, said recessesinclined with respect to the plane containing said bearing surfaces foreach receiving the underside of a foot of a person seated on a chairsupported by said same support surface and a motor-operated vibratorunit secured to said platform, each recess having a substantially flatbottom surface with a lateral boss intermediate its ends, said boss ofan outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot,said vibrator unit being located underneath said platform, said platformhas a downwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof, reinforcingsaid platform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirt havingdownward narrow extensions forming support legs for said platform andresilient foot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and defining saidbearing surfaces.
 2. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the long axes of said recesses are diverging in the direction ofthe ends of said recesses farther away from said plane.
 3. A footmassaging apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ends of saidrecesses merge with the top surface of said platform.
 4. A footmassaging appaRatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support legshave an angular cross-section and said foot pads have a body with ablind bore of the same angular cross-section as said legs to receive thelatter.
 5. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid platform with its recesses, said skirt and said extensions areparts of a shaped one-piece rigid sheet of material.
 6. A foot massagingapparatus comprising a platform made of rigid material and havingbearing surfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platformhaving a top surface arranged in a plane substantially parallel to theplane of said bearing surfaces and defining a pair of elongated separaterecesses, said recesses being deeper at one end than at their other endand each having a bottom surface inclined with respect to the planecontaining said baring surfaces, wherein the long axes of said recessesdiverging in the direction of said other ends of said recesses, eachrecess adapted to receive the underside of a foot of a person seated ona chair supported by said same support surface, and a vibrator unitcomprising an electric motor secured to the underside of said platform.7. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein each recesshas a substantial flat bottom surface with a lateral boss on the insideof the recess and intermediate its ends, said boss of an outer shape toconform to the arch at the underside of a human foot.
 8. A footmassaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said platform has adownwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof, reinforcing saidplatform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirt has downwardnarrow extensions forming support legs for said platform and resilientfoot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and defining said bearingsurfaces.